Jamal Lewis Auctions Off Ravens' Super Bowl XLVII Ring
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Ravens Super Bowl ring—on the auction block. Former football legend Jamal Lewis, facing bankruptcy, pawns his 2012 championship ring. The bidding war has topped $50,000.
Meghan McCorkell has more on what led up to the unusual sale.
Ravens superstar Jamal Lewis retired in 2009. But just three years ago, he filed papers claiming to be more than $10 million in debt.
Related Gallery: Baltimore Ravens Championship Ring
He spent seven seasons with the Ravens, was inducted into the Ring of Honor and remains the team's all-time leading rusher, but former great Jamal Lewis has fallen on hard times, filing for bankruptcy in 2012.
Now his 2012 Super Bowl ring has turned up on the auction block, sparking a bidding war.
"Fifteen different bids on an item that had a starting big of $15,000 is quite a lot," said Ken Goldin, Goldin Auctions.
The size 15, 10 carat white gold ring with 3.75 carats in diamonds sold for $50,820 in an auction by Goldin Auctions to an unnamed Maryland collector.
Lewis didn't play on the 2012 team. He was given the ring as a gift because of his history with the Ravens.
The Baltimore Sun reports Goldin Auctions president Ken Goldin stating: "It's a tremendous price for a retired player who got it as a honorary gift, as opposed to being an active member of that team."
Memorabilia experts say for Ravens fans that Super Bowl ring would be the ultimate get.
The owners of Robbie's First Base in Lutherville say rings like that do get sold, but this one is rare.
"You usually don't see it on a high end guy like Jamal Lewis," said Robbie Davis Jr.
They say it's hard to judge why a player makes that decision.
"Until you live in someone's shoes, you don't know if he needed the money or why he needed the money," said Davis.
The Ravens have released a statement, saying: "Jamal Lewis informed us that he was forced to sell the ring due to financial difficulties. We understand and respect his decision."
Lewis was one of five former Ravens legends who were gifted rings after Super Bowl XLVII. The others: Jonathan Ogden, Matt Stover, Michael McCrary and Peter Boulware.
Lewis also won a Super Bowl ring as part of the 2000 championship Ravens team. It is not known if he has sold that ring as well.
